RANDALLSTOWN, Md. — In 1995, a mother of four was found dead near the Liberty Plaza shopping center in a homicide case police have been trying to solve for 30 years.
It was just before the evening rush on August 25, 1995, in Randallstown: children using the woods to get from one shopping center to another made a terrifying discovery: a decomposed body. They called for help right away.
Their discovery would launch a homicide investigation that remains unsolved today.
The children found 30-year-old Cheryl Rivera. Police say Rivera was last seen at a July 27, 1995 party on Cinnamon Circle in Randallstown more than a month before her body was discovered. She left the party alive that night.
Rivera was close with her sister, and police say they were at that party together. Her sister was the one to report Rivera missing, and on a Friday afternoon a month later, it was the worst case scenario.
"It's hard to say if she was murdered there. We do know that autopsy determined that she had been strangled and there was still a ligature around her neck. There were also various personal belongings that were located there at the scene that her body was located," said Cpl. Dona Carter of the Baltimore County Police Department.
Rivera left behind four children. Police say she battled substance abuse problems but was very loved, and her family was concerned about her.
According to investigators, several factors contributed to the case going cold, including that Rivera was found in the woods, well off the beaten path, leaving investigators needing more evidence.
All this time later, investigators still want to interview people who may have been at that Cinnamon Circle party.
"We want to talk to anybody who may have been there. As I said, she had substance abuse issues, so some of her friends and associates weren't as willing maybe to talk to the police, for fear they might get in trouble as well. So we just want to talk to anybody that may have seen her that night that she went missing," Carter said.
Rivera also had a mother who was not local to Maryland, and it's been tough for the cold case team to maintain contact with family. But they're still hopeful advancements in technology could help, and a potential new witness could come forward.
If you were at that party or you have any details, please contact Baltimore County Police at 410-887-3943.
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